Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-12-21
WEDNESDAY,. DECEMBER 81, 1887
The BLAIR Bill.

The BLAIR bill grows IN popularity as
time passes. The fact that on Monday
last the Senate committee TO which it had
been referred reported unanimously in
favor of its passage is one to which the
rest Of the peoples representatives in
Congress should pay attention, and is
striking commentary upon the leader IN
the Washington Post of the same day
denouncing the bill as "a monstrosity.
This bill, like the proposition to establish
q postal telegraph, cannot be successfully
opposed. The Congressman who fights
either fights we might almost say against
fate. The southerner who opposes 1t
opposes measure which whilst it might
benefit the whole country is needed in
his own section.
The question of the power of Congress
10 pass the BLAIR bill has been exhaust
lively discussed, and has been decided in
the affirmative more than once by the
United States Senate. Mr.. GEORGES
speech of few years ago on this point
was absolutely unanswerable. 1t is pre-
posterous TO say that Congress had
the constitutional power to donate to the
several States the millions of acres OF
public lands which it has donated to
them for educational purposes, and yet
has no power to appropriate few mil
lions of dollars in money to the same
cause. Congress has in times past APP
propriated money to agricultural and
mechanical colleges. Why, then, can it
not lend helping hand to the public
schools ?-the peoples schools?
Under the operation of the BLAIR bill,
should it become law, the States need
not fear that the Federal Government
would exercise, or attempt to exercise,
undue influence over the publicschool
systems of the several States. We have
always watched this point with vigilance,
and have never denied that it would be a
fatal objection to the measure if it could
be shown that under it such control
could be lawfully exercised
We trust that the Senate will pass the
bill and send it to the House of Repre-
sentatives without delay. No new light
can be thrown upon the subject. The
best legal minds in Congress have dis
cussed its merits and its constitutionality
until there is no excuse for wasting any
more time in making speeches upon 1t.
The Virginia congressman must not for
get that for years our platforms and
speakers and papers have held out to the
people OF this State the hope that De-
mocratic House of Representatives would
be sure TO pass the BLAIR bill
if it could be brought to a vote.
In the last House Mr. HATCH,
of Missouri, showed to all the world
that bill favored 10y a majority OF its
members could be forced through that
body. Day after day he pressed the
passage of the oleomargarine bill, and
finally accomplished his purpose. Why
cannot the BLAIR bill be forced through
the House of Representatives in like
manner? 1t can command more votes,
we suppose, than the oleCmargarine
bill received. A Washington letter In
the Alexandria gazette says that Mr..
O'FERRA1I., who aided Mr.. HATCH in
getting the oleomargarine bill through
the House, has said that the chances for
the passage of the BLAIR bill are in
creased because fewer Democrats are
opposed TO it in this than We're opposed
10 it in the last House We hope for
the best.